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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — rain
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. pop — music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com